[ EDITORIAL ]

Florida Corruption: Sad State of Ethics

Published: Monday, October 22, 2012 at 12:07 a.m.

Last Modified: Monday, October 22, 2012 at 12:07 a.m.

How bad is Florida's political corruption? So bad that Louisiana is being held up by comparison as an example of good government.

Louisiana, with its long and sordid history of official corruption, cleaned up its act in recent years and enacted sweeping ethics reforms. As a result, the national Center for Public Integrity ranked Louisiana No. 1 in a state-by-state comparison of financial-disclosure laws. Louisiana had ranked 44th in a 2006 report.

The Florida Commission on Ethics and a new government-watchdog group are calling for similar progress in this state, and it appears they finally have support from legislative leaders.

Incoming state Senate President Don Gaetz and House Speaker Will Weatherford said Tuesday that they'll make campaign-finance-and-ethics reform high priorities in next year's legislative session.

It's about time. The Legislature has not adopted serious ethics legislation since the 1970s, and it shows.

ALL LEVELS

In 2009, former House Speaker Ray Sansom resigned during an investigation of his efforts to steer millions of tax dollars to a state college that later hired him at a six-figure salary. The grand jury that looked into Sansom's dealings issued a scathing report on legislative corruption, citing loopholes in ethics laws and failure to hold lawmakers accountable.

Yet, the corruption has extended to all levels of government. From 2000 to 2010, Florida led the nation in federal-public-corruption convictions with 781, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

The 2009 report that ranked Louisiana No. 1 — "States of Disclosure," by The Center for Public Integrity — ranked Florida 26th, with a grade of D.

In a separate report issued this year, the same group gave Florida "a failing grade in ethics enforcement and an overall C- for corruption risk," said Dan Krassner, executive director of Integrity Florida. The group, which has cited the Louisiana example, is a nonpartisan watchdog with a mission "to promote integrity in government and expose public corruption."

Krassner's group and the state Ethics Commission have pushed the Legislature to adopt reforms, and seem to have made headway with Gaetz and Weatherford.

Gaetz told reporters Tuesday that two of the commission's recommendations would be among his top goals as Senate president.

One would require public officials' financial disclosure statements to be posted online, where the public could view them.

The other would be to bar legislators from voting on issues in which they declare a conflict of interest. The current rule lets lawmakers vote on such issues as long as they declare their conflict within 15 days.

"What kind of a rule is that?" Gaetz asked.

Good question.

LEGAL SLUSH FUNDS

Gaetz also deserves praise for vowing to clean up legislators' legal slush funds, officially known as committees of continuing existence. CCEs enable individual lawmakers to solicit unlimited donations from special interests, with almost no limits on how the money is spent.

Legislators have used CCEs to contribute to other campaigns, thus helping secure support for leadership positions, and virtually any political expenditure. Some lawmakers have used the money to pay for air travel, hotel rooms, bar tabs, meals and even campaign T-shirts.

Gaetz said he'll also take aim at the root of the Sansom scandal: the long-standing practice of letting legislators take jobs, after they are elected, at colleges and other recipients of state funds. Wisely, he would make an exception for teachers who decide to run for office.

Weatherford confirmed his plans to work with Gaetz, releasing a statement Tuesday that said "House and Senate leadership are in agreement that there is a need for meaningful campaign-finance-and-ethics reform."

Legislators used to the perks of public office won't give them up willingly. But if Louisiana can reform itself, surely Florida can.

<p>How bad is Florida's political corruption? So bad that Louisiana is being held up by comparison as an example of good government.</p><p>Louisiana, with its long and sordid history of official corruption, cleaned up its act in recent years and enacted sweeping ethics reforms. As a result, the national Center for Public Integrity ranked Louisiana No. 1 in a state-by-state comparison of financial-disclosure laws. Louisiana had ranked 44th in a 2006 report.</p><p>The Florida Commission on Ethics and a new government-watchdog group are calling for similar progress in this state, and it appears they finally have support from legislative leaders.</p><p>Incoming state Senate President Don Gaetz and House Speaker Will Weatherford said Tuesday that they'll make campaign-finance-and-ethics reform high priorities in next year's legislative session.</p><p>It's about time. The Legislature has not adopted serious ethics legislation since the 1970s, and it shows.</p><p>ALL LEVELS</p><p>In 2009, former House Speaker Ray Sansom resigned during an investigation of his efforts to steer millions of tax dollars to a state college that later hired him at a six-figure salary. The grand jury that looked into Sansom's dealings issued a scathing report on legislative corruption, citing loopholes in ethics laws and failure to hold lawmakers accountable.</p><p>Yet, the corruption has extended to all levels of government. From 2000 to 2010, Florida led the nation in federal-public-corruption convictions with 781, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.</p><p>The 2009 report that ranked Louisiana No. 1 — "States of Disclosure," by The Center for Public Integrity — ranked Florida 26th, with a grade of D.</p><p>In a separate report issued this year, the same group gave Florida "a failing grade in ethics enforcement and an overall C- for corruption risk," said Dan Krassner, executive director of Integrity Florida. The group, which has cited the Louisiana example, is a nonpartisan watchdog with a mission "to promote integrity in government and expose public corruption."</p><p>Krassner's group and the state Ethics Commission have pushed the Legislature to adopt reforms, and seem to have made headway with Gaetz and Weatherford.</p><p>Gaetz told reporters Tuesday that two of the commission's recommendations would be among his top goals as Senate president.</p><p>One would require public officials' financial disclosure statements to be posted online, where the public could view them.</p><p>The other would be to bar legislators from voting on issues in which they declare a conflict of interest. The current rule lets lawmakers vote on such issues as long as they declare their conflict within 15 days.</p><p>"What kind of a rule is that?" Gaetz asked.</p><p>Good question.</p><p>LEGAL SLUSH FUNDS</p><p>Gaetz also deserves praise for vowing to clean up legislators' legal slush funds, officially known as committees of continuing existence. CCEs enable individual lawmakers to solicit unlimited donations from special interests, with almost no limits on how the money is spent.</p><p>Legislators have used CCEs to contribute to other campaigns, thus helping secure support for leadership positions, and virtually any political expenditure. Some lawmakers have used the money to pay for air travel, hotel rooms, bar tabs, meals and even campaign T-shirts.</p><p>Gaetz said he'll also take aim at the root of the Sansom scandal: the long-standing practice of letting legislators take jobs, after they are elected, at colleges and other recipients of state funds. Wisely, he would make an exception for teachers who decide to run for office.</p><p>Weatherford confirmed his plans to work with Gaetz, releasing a statement Tuesday that said "House and Senate leadership are in agreement that there is a need for meaningful campaign-finance-and-ethics reform."</p><p>Legislators used to the perks of public office won't give them up willingly. But if Louisiana can reform itself, surely Florida can.</p>